5 Nigerians In Court For Impersonating The All - Africa Students Union
Five Nigerians; Oluwafemi Oluwaseun Ologon with false name Amb. Fred Kweku Mensah, Salau Enesi Habib, Babalola Olalekan, Shodunke Olabisi with false name Yvonne Nelson and Odeyemi Emmanuel on Monday 25th January 2016 appeared before the Magistrate Court 1 at Lokoja the state capital of Kogi, Nigeria on accusation of conspiracy and cheating by impersonation, contrary to Section 97(2) and 324 of the Penal Code Law of Nigeria( a crime punishable to up to five years in prison if found guilty).
The leader of the scammers, Oluwafemi Oluwasegu Olongon, and others in December 2015 received a sum of 500,000 Naira from two prominent Nigerians and had returned with this new group on 22nd January to receive a further undisclosed amount of money for conferring on the dignatories Platunum Awards in Educational Development. Upon a tip off , the Secretary General of AASU travelled to Nigeria leading to the arrest and subsequent arraignment of the accused before the magistrate court in Lokoja.
The were picked up by the police on Friday 22nd January 2016 to the LOKOJA CIID POLICE STATION. The accused were detained and sent to court on Monday 25th January where they were heard and bailed ; the case has since been adjourned to 16th February 2016.
The secretariat has since August 2012 battled with the issue of fake AASU awards in Nigeria. It will be recalled that, one Olufemi Akindele Lawson on 7th December 2012 attempted awarding one Olabide George of the PDP in the name of AASU , but for the timely intervention of the premium Times News paper that got in Touch with Secretariat on the planned award ( search AASU DISOWNS BODE GEORGE). I n that same year AASU did disclaimers on a number of fake awards given to Chief Solomon Iyobosa Edebiri, Prof. Olusegun Adewoye and Dr. Margaret Ladipo; search The All Africa Students Union Cautions Nigerias Against Fraudulent Leadership Awards from Imposters.
The union further noted that, one Dr. Ado Muhammad of the Nigeria Primary Health Agency also fell victim to these scammers in the year 2014; search Nigeria's primary health agency boss bags Nkrumah leadership awards; ICON 2014.
One would think that the scammers will be carefully about lawmakers but it doesn't seem so for these brave chaps. One Barrister Simon Yakubu Arabo of the National Assembly of Nigeria representing Kauru Federal constituency also fell victim to the radar of these crooks. This fake award was conferred by no other person but the president of the National Association of Nigeria Students, comrade Tijani Usman; search Arabo Gets AASU 2015 Award.
The minister of power, prof. chinedu Nebo has also been cited for receiving the fake awards in the name of AASU ; search All African Students Union Honours Nebo with Global Leadership Award.
Alban Ikoku federal college of education equally received these scammers when they were presented with two awards ; one for the university and the second or their proost: Dr.(Mrs). Blessing Ijioma; search Kwame Nkrumah Leadership Awards.
Another union that has been bastardized in the name of awards is the erstwhile West Africa Students Union which was previously under the watch of the Economic Community of West Africa States. The union which has been dormant for over eight years amidst efforts by the AASU and ECOWAS to revive has also been used to shower fake awards to unsuspecting Nigerians. Olalekan Babalola one of the those to reappear before the Lokoja magistrate court on 16February 2016, is cited in another development as holding himself as the WASU country representative, issued an award to Alhaji Mamman Âbûbäkår Yusuf of the Central bank of Nigeria at Ikene in Kogi state; search WASU HONOURS CBN EMPLOYEE WITH KWAME NKRUMAH LEADERSHIP AWARD.
One Prof. Abdul Rasheed Na'Allah , vice chancellor of Kwara state university was equally deceived to receiving a fake award from one Kelvin Polinious purporting to be coming from a non existent WASU Secretariat; search KWASU VC bags Kwame Nkrumah Leadership Award.
Also deceived with the WASU fake award is Director General of the National Office for Technology and Promotion, Eng. Umar Buba Bindir by a purported Rt Hon. Speaker of WASU parliament, Cde Samuel Solomon; search NOTAP DG Bags WASUP Kwame Nkrumah Award.
Dr. Sarah Alade was not left out of these WASU scam business as she was deceived to receive a fake award from a purported Secretary Ge real of WASU, comrade Bamikole Oladade Babs; search CBN's SarahAlade bags Nkrumah Leadership Award.
Much as the All- Africa Students union regrets the embarrassment that this exposure may cause to recipients of the above fake Honours , we do urge that due diligence be done in future before accepting awards from any purported group of persons. It's expected that one would at least investigate the Organisation or persons presenting an award before accepting such.
May we at this juncture inform that the following persons do not work with the All Africa Students Union and thus any one who does business with them does so at his or her own risk; Olufemi Akindele Lawson, Oluwafemi Oluwaseun Ologon, Olalekan Babalola, Yinka Gbadebo.
It is further announced for the information of the General public that, the erstwhile West Africa Students Union is currently defunct and efforts are being made by various stake holder groups including ECOWAS and AASU to bring it back to its feet.
We by this medium caution all Nigerians and other well meaning individuals and groups to desist from receiving any such awards since AASU does not offer door to door awards. Our awards are done on the final day of our annual Africa Students and Youth Summit at Coconut groove Hotel, Accra. we also do not take money before or after awarding deserving awardees. also, our awards would always have other nominees from which the most deserving is awarded. once again any one who comes to your office with an award is definitely not coming from AASU. We as well caution all to make reference to the AASU headquarters via [email protected] or 00233243101626 for all enquiries regarding the union or visit our web at www.aasuonline.org.
Finally, the union is appreciative to the people of Lokoja, especially the Lokoja police for helping us arrest the first badge of accused and their further pledge to fish out all accomplices. We further urge all dignitaries cited in this write up to do due diligence by dragging the scammers to court.
Yours in Students Service
Awaah Fred
Secretary General
(Head of Mission)